Tuesday 13th August 2013

Latvala in a Quattro: Time For Tea?

Another onboard vid with a speedy Finn at the wheel - this time Jari-Matti Latvala in a Quattro

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You wait for one Quattro story, etc... Following Monday's Carpool on one PHer's much-loved Audi we bring you this video of Jari-Matti Latvala enjoying some downtime from the frontline VW WRC campaign ... by going rallying. Just in case you were in any doubt about how deeply embedded in the Finnish psyche the sport is.

The video is from stage seven of the Lahti Historic Rally which took place over the weekend and is a powerful demonstration of why the Quattro turned the world of 80s rallying on its head. What, you thought all they did was understeer or something?

Prepare to be amazed at quite how fast a 31-year-old car can go and wince at quite how close those trees are, the gap between them seeing to narrow significantly in relation to the increasing numbers on the telemetry. You can read more about it here but the best thing to do is let the video do the talking.

 

[Sources: WRC.com, Lahti Historic Rally homepage ]

 

[RAClNG SNAKE]

Great video. Shame about the onboard duck.

[tannedstamina]

RAClNG SNAKE said:

Great video. Shame about the onboard duck.

That's a fowl joke.

[Carnnoisseur]

Not too proud to admit that I would have gone straight into that house at point 0:44, completely misread the road....

[toerag]

--> WOW

[enioldjoe]

Glad I had a gander at that. Would have liked some more five pot warble though.

[Jerry Can]

enioldjoe said:

Glad I had a gander at that. Would have liked some more five pot warble though.

will this do@
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnG5YsSFc7g

of all the vids to choose and there are plenty on JML's youtube channel, you picked the worst one.

[LordPetroleum]

Phew, I'll have a bag of whatever smokes please!

Obviously uses 'the force' as the balls are big on this one.

Mind you, reckon he could have pushed a bit harder if only he was in an 135i M Sport

Edited by LordPetroleum on Tuesday 13th August 20:55

Edited by LordPetroleum on Tuesday 13th August 21:01

[yadaddytdon]

All good bar the quack and the roll of electrical tape they left on the dash ... i cant take my eyes off it !!- the tape that is ...

[fttm]

"Quattros are boring" Phil Collins . Watch him on the same event in 2012 but piloting his Group 4 Escort , some driving .

[loudlashadjuster]

yadaddytdon said:

All good bar the quack and the roll of electrical tape they left on the dash ... i cant take my eyes off it !!- the tape that is ...

I had to turn it off. OCD strikes again.

[dudleybloke]

totaly quackers!

[f328nvl]

In the 1980s the Audi Quattro spat flames in the face of its challengers and tore holes of fire through the dark forests of Wales in the RAC rally. They were driven by virile Vikings, some of whom really were called Stig, who drove like a Berserker on a wild stag night, then chatted calmly with the press as if they were actually one of the nice blokes from ABBA. They were quietly spoken rock stars who gave 100% because they weren’t stupid enough to think that 110% existed and never once did they complain about a curious numbness and lack of connection in the steering of their all-conquering quattros.



Full waffle:
http://www.honestjg.com/2012/12/audi-quattros.html

[redroadster]

To be honest it did not impress me that much looked like mainly tarmac ,if road was gravel and loose would take more skill and balls to drive fast this was pretty averagemy normal speed to tesco on sunday drive.

[smilo996]

Great Vid. Was that an Audi Quattro or a car with Merlin and Challenger engines and a co driver blending nuts and bolts with his pet hornet stuck in a plastic bag?

[andymac47]

Redroadster you must be one hell of a jockey that's all i can say pal.

You don't know much about quattro's if you think they are slow on gravel
which is what that stage is it's defo not tarmac..

I've owned rwd escorts & fwd quattro's the escort may look better on gravel
but the quattro is way way faster especially in the hands of a pro.

In my experience it's much easier to drive an rwd escort near it's limit
than it is to try & drive a quattro near it's limit.

[tobinen]

Really liked that - shame the sound quality was poor

[Doshy]

Awesome. Obviously needs wheel barrow to carry testicles.

[epom]

Superb stuff, these guys could make even a trolley go fast or a chipped 335d

[firebird350]

andymac47 said:

Redroadster you must be one hell of a jockey that's all i can say pal.

You don't know much about quattro's if you think they are slow on gravel
which is what that stage is it's defo not tarmac..

I've owned rwd escorts & fwd quattro's the escort may look better on gravel
but the quattro is way way faster especially in the hands of a pro.

In my experience it's much easier to drive an rwd escort near it's limit
than it is to try & drive a quattro near it's limit.

You're absolutely right, Andymac - without doubt a loose-surface Finnish gravel stage. Also, from Latvala's smooth, flowing driving style, I reckon he's not giving it 'death' (as the old expression went), rather he's just enjoying the experience of an original Group B supercar. And who wouldn't?!

[boma]

Looked like a lot of quick transitions from tarmac to gravel and wet looking mud - which is like dancing on ice in the cold. If the few sections at 150 klicks drifting on a slimy mud covered road aren't impressive to you, then I'm not sure what will be...